A scientific paper assessing the safety of glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, was formally retracted in 2025, 25 years after its publication. The 2000 study had concluded that glyphosate was safe for humans.


The retraction followed evidence from court documents released in 2017 showing that company employees had contributed to the paper without being listed as authors — a practice known as ghostwriting. Despite these concerns being publicly known for several years, the journal did not issue a retraction until 2025.


Before its withdrawal, the paper was widely cited and relied upon by regulators in assessing glyphosate’s safety. Its retraction highlights the importance of transparency, independence, and caution when research is used to inform public health and environmental policy.


What is glyphosate?


Glyphosate is the active ingredient in many weedkillers used in NZ, including Roundup. Roundup was originally developed by Monsanto, which has since been acquired by Bayer.

Read more about independent research indicating harm associated with glyphosate use.


C&EN: Glyphosate study from 2000 retracted amid corporate-influence concerns

https://cen.acs.org/research-integrity/misconduct/Glyphosate-study-2000-retracted-amid/103/web/2025/12?utm_source=chatgpt.com

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